One of the most the most significant achievements of the American independent film movement of the 1990s, writer-director Whit Stillman's debut, Metropolitan, is a sparkling comedic chronicle of a middle-class young man's romantic misadventures among New York City's debutante society. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, Stillman's deft, literate script and hilariously high-brow observations mask a tender tale of adolescent anxiety. SPECIAL FEATURES: New, restored high-definition digital transfer . Audio commentary by director Whit Stillman, editor Christopher Tellefsen, and actors Chris Eigeman and Taylor Nichols. Rare outtakes and deleted scenes. Optional English subtitles for the deaf and heard of hearing. A new essay by author and film scholar Luc Sante.

Whit Stillman (Barcelona, Last Days of Disco) enters Woody Allen territory in his talky yet articulate debut, creating a stinging expose of self-important upper-class socialites and the head games they play, during their Christmas vacation in Manhattan. Witty and cynical, Stillman captures this odd subculture with sly observation and occasional sympathy--sort of a fascinating anthropological study of adolescent preppies. His young subjects, spoiled by their silver spoons, still lack life experience and, thus, emotional maturity or social grace. They pass time idly discussing Jane Austen (a tip of the hat to the master of social-manner comedies), Marxism, and other philosophies, dressing up for parties and undressing during strip poker, and gossiping about the romantic pairings for the upcoming debutante ball. Stillman smartly offers up Tom (Edward Clements), a middle-class loner who's slowly adopted into the clique, as an audience identification reference, making the events seem even stranger and funnier from his point of view. But Tom's far from perfect himself. As the innocent, easily manipulated Audrey (Carolyn Farina) begins to fall in love with him, Tom's boorish, hurtful responses make him appear as juvenile as the rest. Concurrently, it also jolts the group with a much-needed taste of reality, and the film with unpredictable poignancy, suggesting that at least one may grow from the experience. In his first opportunity as director, Stillman pulls wonderful performances from his unknown cast. Especially memorable are Christopher Eigeman as the sarcastically perceptive snob, Nick, and Taylor Nichols playing the philosophical, anxiety-ridden Charlie. --Dave McCoy

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Metropolitan No.1

London Metropolitan Railway 0-4-4 tank built 1898. Built to haul london commuter services to and from Baker Street to Aylesbury until 1920. Remained in service with London Underground as Met1 tank until 1964. Purchased for preservation and now normally found at the Buckinghamshire railway at Quainton.

Here on loan to the Mid Hants for the gala event where it seemed to have difficulty with the steep gradients !

Former A&P West Orange, NJ

Closed in the Early 1980's I think it then became a Plus Supermarket for a few years. Now Metropolitan Plant and Flower Exchange, Great Shapes Swimweare & Lingerie and vacant space that used to be J.S Green Farm.

The Last Days of Disco brings to a close American cinema raconteur extraordinaire Whit Stillman’s unofficial trilogy about the neuroses of the young and upscale. Following Metropolitan and Barcelona, this is a clever and sparkling return to the nighttime party scene in early eighties Manhattan. At the center of Stillman’s roundelay of revelers are the icy, commanding Charlotte (Kate Beckinsale) and the demure, pragmatic Alice (Chloe Sevigny), by day toiling as publishing house assistants, and by night looking for romance and entertainment at a premier, Studio 54–like club. Brimming with Stillman’s trademark dry humor, The Last Days of Disco is an affectionate yet unsentimental look at the end of an era.

Director Approved Special Edition Features:

New, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by director Whit Stillman Audio commentary featuring Stillman and actors Chloe Sevigny and Chris Eigeman Four deleted scenes with commentary by Stillman, Eigeman, and Sevigny Stills gallery with production notes by Stillman Stillman reading a chapter from The Last Days of Disco, with Cocktails at Petrossian Afterwards, his novelization of the movie Behind-the-scenes featurette Original theatrical trailer PLUS: An essay by novelist David Schickler

Stills from The Last Days of Disco (Click for larger image)

Completing the loosely connected trilogy that also includes Metropolitan and Barcelona, writer-director Whit Stillman brings his signature style to this casually structured but acerbically witty ode to... well, to the last days of disco. Set in New York during 1980-81, the film follows its half-dozen central characters onto the strobe-lit dance floor of The Club--the anonymous name Stillman gave to the central setting, knowing at the time that his film would be released in close proximity to 54, the bigger-budget movie about the legendary and infamous nightclub Studio 54. In fact, Stillman's film captures the same period with greater accuracy, and draws us into the waning disco craze with more incisive wit and deft handling of a first-rate cast.The film's casual plot revolves around six recent college graduates, and Stillman charts their clashes and intimacies with a keen sense of human foibles and frailties, pausing throughout for such characteristic touches as a hilarious conversation about the sexual politics of Disney's Lady and the Tramp or the homoerotic subtext in an episode of Wild Kingdom. Sharp dialogue is in rich abundance here, and through it all Stillman captures the fading glory of disco as his characters make the transition toward adult responsibilities. It's here that we see how this film is subtly intertwined with Stillman's earlier work, and where we gain a fuller and more satisfying appreciation of a filmmaker who has carved a singular niche for himself in the world of independent movies. --Jeff Shannon